Midwest Has Highest Per Capita Rate of Iraq War Fatalities and Casualties

Minnesota has 5th highest number of fatalities in the nation in 2009

The death of a Coon Rapids, Minnesota Army Major in Basra, Iraq on Tuesday, Tad T. Hervas, now brings the number of Gopher State fatalities in Operation Iraqi Freedom to 66 since the war began in 2003.

While U.S. and coalition fatalities are on pace to be the lowest in the seven years of the Iraqi conflict, more than 100 U.S. military personnel have died in Iraq in 2009 including six from Minnesota.

Minnesotans have endured the fifth highest number of Iraq war fatalities in the country in 2009, behind only California (12), Ohio (9), Texas (8), and North Carolina (7).

Massachusetts has also had six military personnel from its state die in Iraq this year.

Although Southern states traditionally produce the largest number of recruits for the U.S. Armed forces, it is actually the Midwestern states which have endured the largest number of casualties and fatalities per capita in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

There are 12 states that comprise the greater Midwestern region: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.

These dozen Midwestern states have experienced a fatality rate in Iraq of 15.01 deaths per 1 million residents, according to a Smart Politics analysis of 2008 U.S. Census Bureau population data and Iraq war fatalities compiled by iCasualties.org. That rate is higher than the South (14.72), the West (13.91) and the Northeast (11.73).

U.S. Per Capita Deaths and Casualties in Operation Iraqi Freedom by Region

Region	Wounded	Deaths	Casualties	Deaths per capita	Casualties per capita
Midwest	7,373	999	8,372	15.01	125.8
South	11,635	1,636	13,271	14.72	119.4
West	7,556	994	8,550	13.91	119.7
Northeast	4,617	644	5,261	11.73	95.8

Note: U.S. Census 2008 population data and iCasualties death and casualty data compiled by Smart Politics. Data includes the 50 U.S. states, not U.S. territories or the District of Columbia.

The Midwest has three of the highest seven per capita fatality rates of U.S. military personnel killed in Iraq: South Dakota at #3 (24.87 per million), Nebraska at #5 (24.67), and North Dakota at #7 (21.82). Vermont has the highest rate in the nation at 33.80, almost four times the rate of #50 Utah (8.41).

Minnesota has the second lowest per capita rate of Iraqi war fatalities in the Midwest since 2003 at 12.64 per million residents, and is ranked #38 in the nation, ahead of only Illinois in the region (at 12.17, #40). Iowa (at 15.65, #25) and Wisconsin (at 15.64, #26) rank in the middle.

The Midwest region also has the highest casualty rate from the Iraq war – those military personnel who are wounded or killed. At 125.8 casualties per million residents, its casualty rate is higher than that of the West (119.7), the South (119.4), and particularly the Northeast (95.8).

South Dakota has the fifth highest casualty rate in the country (at 184.0 per million), with North Dakota at #7 (182.4). Montana has the highest rate in the nation at 265.7 casualties per million residents – more than four times the rate of #50 New Jersey (62.5). Minnesota is ranked #35 at 112.3, with Iowa at #20 (136.6) and Wisconsin at #28 (121.5).

U.S. Per Capita Fatalities in Operation Iraqi Freedom by State

Rank	State	Region	Deaths	Casualties	Deaths per capita	Casualties per capita
1	VT	Northeast	21	112	33.80	180.3
2	MT	West	27	257	27.91	265.6
3	SD	Midwest	20	148	24.87	184.0
4	AK	West	17	125	24.77	182.1
5	NE	Midwest	44	275	24.67	154.2
6	WY	West	13	114	24.41	214.0
7	ND	Midwest	14	117	21.82	182.4
8	AR	South	62	526	21.71	184.2
9	OK	South	76	605	20.87	166.1
10	HI	West	26	168	20.18	130.4
11	ID	West	30	316	19.69	207.4
12	NM	West	38	324	19.15	163.3
13	LA	South	84	677	19.04	153.5
14	OR	West	72	573	19.00	151.2
15	NH	Northeast	23	210	17.48	159.6
16	ME	Northeast	23	241	17.47	183.1
17	MS	South	51	335	17.36	114.0
18	TX	South	409	3456	16.81	142.1
19	VA	South	129	858	16.60	110.4
20	KS	Midwest	46	471	16.42	168.1
21	KY	South	70	555	16.40	130.0
22	DE	South	14	65	16.03	74.4
23	OH	Midwest	182	1519	15.85	132.2
24	PA	Northeast	195	1512	15.66	121.5
25	IA	Midwest	47	410	15.65	136.6
26	WI	Midwest	88	684	15.64	121.5
27	MI	Midwest	156	1178	15.59	117.8
28	AL	South	72	609	15.44	130.6
29	AZ	West	97	792	14.92	121.8
30	TN	South	92	713	14.80	114.7
31	IN	Midwest	93	809	14.58	126.9
32	MO	Midwest	86	869	14.55	147.0
33	NV	West	36	233	13.85	89.6
34	WA	West	89	1015	13.59	155.0
35	GA	South	131	1016	13.53	104.9
36	MD	South	76	508	13.49	90.2
37	WV	South	23	247	12.68	136.1
38	MN	Midwest	66	586	12.64	112.3
39	CA	West	462	3766	12.57	102.5
40	IL	Midwest	157	1306	12.17	101.2
41	SC	South	54	468	12.05	104.5
42	CO	West	59	577	11.94	116.8
43	MA	Northeast	76	582	11.70	89.6
44	RI	Northeast	12	121	11.42	115.2
45	NC	South	105	968	11.39	105.0
46	FL	South	188	1665	10.26	90.8
47	NY	Northeast	186	1663	9.54	85.3
48	NJ	Northeast	78	543	8.98	62.5
49	CT	Northeast	30	277	8.57	79.1
50	UT	West	23	263	8.41	96.1

Note: U.S. Census 2008 population data and iCasualties death and casualty data compiled by Smart Politics. Data includes the 50 U.S. states, not U.S. territories or the District of Columbia.

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